Okay, thanks, ginger. The latest on the American journalist held hostage by Isis militants. The mother of Steven sotloff recording an emotional plea appealing to the leader asking him in the name of Islam to release her son. ABC's Brian Ross is tracking this. Reporter: Good morning, and this morning Steve sotloff's mother awaits word on whether her emotional plea to save her son's life had any impact at all on his captors. I am Shirley sotloff. My son, Steven is in your hands. Reporter: The mother's last-ditch plea came eight days after Isis publicly threatened to kill her son if the U.S. Air strikes continued as they have. Steven has no control over the actions of the U.S. Government. He's an innocent journalist. ? Reporter: Shirley sotloff directed her plea personally to the Isis leader, Abu Bakr Al baghdadi, a brutal meg low mania who claims he is the caliph of the Muslim world. I've always learned you, the caliph, can grant am mess city. I ask you to please release my child. Reporter: But Isis is a group that has shown no mercy as it has conducted its ruthless holy war across Syria and Iraq. Thousands of innocent civilians have already been executed as the group has demonstrated the thirst for blood. This is not the kind of terrorist group that's going to say, we can be magnanimous here and give this one up because a mother has asked for it. Reporter: As the Isis group continues to grow military officials tell ABC news it has demonstrated a sophisticated and well thought-out plan for establishing its own islamic caliphate state across Syria and Iraq. Now they're using drones to gather overhead intelligence on targets and have captured a wide range of advanced military equipment and munitions, much of it left behind by the U.S. Officials say Isis is now much more than the ragtag terror group it was just a few years ago. And this morning U.S. Officials tell ABC news they are working to confirm new reports out of Syria that yet another American has been killed fighting for Isis, George. We know that so many westerners and Americans have gone over there to fight and the concern not only will they fight there but try to bring an attack back home. What they call the clean skin, be able to get in this country with their documents. 100 Americans thought to have signed up to fight for this group. Isis also holding two other American, humanitarian aid workers. That's right, one man, one woman in addition to Steve sotloff. And their families don't want their names published. Thanks very much.

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